Theology (1) Theology (1) Lecture Part III: Nature of GodLecture Part III: Nature of God

Jintae Kim, PhDAlliance Theological Seminary

Nyack, NY 10960(845) 770-5762

E-mail: Jintae.kim@nyack.eduWebsite: http://all4jesus.net

The Doctrine of God (85-90)The Doctrine of God (85-90)

Problems on Two LevelsProblems on Two Levels

Common, Distorted Common, Distorted Understanding of GodUnderstanding of God

(1) God as a celestial police officer who looks for opportunities to pounce upon erring and straying persons? 

(2) Cause of all catastrophic events? 

(3) As an indulgent, kindly old gentleman who would never want to detract from humans’ enjoyment of life?

Speculative UnderstandingSpeculative Understanding

(1) The debates on the doctrine of Trinity in the early church

(2) Is He so transcendent or so immanent in human society and the processes of nature? 

(3) Excessive analysis of God

Right AttitudeRight Attitude

The study of God’s nature should be seen as a means to a more accurate understanding of him and hence a closer personal relationship with him.

1. The Immanence and 1. The Immanence and TranscendenceTranscendence

Immanence

The degree to which God is present and active within the universe

(Jer 23:23)

Transcendence

God's status being absent and removed from the universe

  (1) Immanence(1) Immanence

Biblical Basis of ImmanenceBiblical Basis of Immanence

Jer 23:24  God’s presence everywhere within the universe 

Acts 17:27-28 “He is not far from us….”  Job 27:3;33:4    Indwelling and sustaining

spirit or breath of God Ps 104:29-30    Nature’s dependence

upon God Gen 1:2; 2:7; Ps 63:11; Micah 3:8; Hag 2:5; Matt 5:45; 6:25-30; 10:29-30

Nature and ImmanenceNature and Immanence

(1) God is active within the regular patterns of nature.  He is God of nature, of natural law.

(2) However, nature itself is not God.(3) What is to be emphasized is the

total dependence of nature upon God.

Modernism on ImmanenceModernism on Immanence

Refer http://all4jesus.net/eng/P3ch9ImmanenceModernism.pdf

Implications of Immanence Implications of Immanence (Limited degree)(Limited degree)

1. God is not limited to working directly to accomplish his purposes.

2. God may use persons and organizations that are not avowedly Christian.

3. We should have an appreciation for all that God has created.

4. We can learn something about God from his creation.

5. God’s immanence means that there are points at which the gospel can make contact with the unbeliever.

(2) Transcendence(2) Transcendence

God is separated from, independent of nature and entire creative order.

Biblical BasisBiblical Basis

Isa 55:8-9 God’s thoughts transcend man’s.

Isa 6:1-5 The Lord is depicted as “sitting upon a throne”

Ps 113:5-6; 123:1; John 8:23

Models of TranscendenceModels of Transcendence

Refer http://all4jesus.net/eng/P3ch9TranscendenceModels.pdf

6 Implications of 6 Implications of TranscendenceTranscendence

(1) There is something higher than man.  Man is not the highest good in the  universe, or the highest measure of truth and value.

(2) God can never be completely captured in human concept.

(3) Our salvation is not our achievement.

(4) There will always be a difference between God and man.

(5) Reverence is appropriate in our relationship with God.

(6) We will look for genuinely transcendent working by God.

2. The Nature of Attributes2. The Nature of Attributes

Permanent and intrinsic qualities which constitutes the entire Godhead.

Classifications of Attributes Classifications of Attributes (Doctrines, 266-67)(Doctrines, 266-67)

(1) Communicable property and incommunicable property - Berkof

(2) Immanent or intransitive property and the emanant or transitive property: A. H. Strong

(3) Absolute property and relative property

(4) Natural property and moral property

Greatness of GodGreatness of God

Spirituality Life Personality Infinity: Space; Time; Knowledge; Power Constancy For the detail, refer • http://all4jesus.net/eng/P3Ch 9 Greatness.pdf

Goodness of GodGoodness of God

(1) Moral Purities: Holiness; Righteousness 의로우심 : Justice 공정하심

(2) Integrity (온전성 ): Genuineness 실존 ; Veracity 정직 ; Faithfulness 신실

(3) Love (사랑 ): Benevolence 선의 ; Grace 은혜 ; Mercy 자비 ; Persistence 인내

* For the detail, refer • http://all4jesus.net/eng/ P3ch11Goodness.pdf

The Trinity The Trinity 삼위일체 삼위일체  (106-15)(106-15)

(1) Introduction

(2) The Biblical Teaching:

Oneness; Deity; Trinity

(3) Historical Constructions:

Economic; Dynamic; Modalistic; Orthodox

(4) The Essential Elements of the Doctrine

(5) The Search for Analogies

Definition from Westminster Definition from Westminster Confession of Faith (Confession of Faith ( 제 제 22 장 장 33

항항 )) "In the unity of Godhead, there be three

persons of one substance, power, and eternity: God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Ghost.  The Father is of none, neither begotten, nor proceeding: the Son is eternally begotten of the Father: the Holy Ghost eternally proceeding from the Father and the Son.”

2 2 Sides of the Doctrine of Sides of the Doctrine of TrinityTrinity

ProblemProblem

The doctrine is not overtly or explicitly stated in Scripture. This phenomenon caused a lot of confusion in formulating the doctrine throughout the church history.

ImportanceImportanceof the doctrineof the doctrine

The doctrine of Trinity is crucial for Christianity. It is concerned with who God is, what he is like, how he works, and how he is to be approached. Moreover, the question of the deity of Jesus Christ is very much wrapped up with one’s understanding of the Trinity.

The Biblical Teaching The Biblical Teaching concerning the Trinityconcerning the Trinity

(1) The Oneness of God

(2) The Deity of Three

(3) Three-in-Oneness

The Oneness of GodThe Oneness of God

The OTMonotheistic faith: 1st commandment “There is but one God

of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, not many.” (e.g. Exod.3:13-15)

“Hear, O Israel: the Lord our God is one Lord.” (Deut.6:4)

The NTJam 2:19 “You believe that

God is one…” 1 Cor 8:4-6 “…"there is no

God but one." … there is one God, the Father… and one Lord, Jesus Christ….” 

1 Tim 2:5 “For there is one God; there is also one mediator

….”

Deity of Three Deity of Three 삼위의 신성삼위의 신성

Trinity Biblical Evidence

Father Scarcely in dispute

Son Php 2:5-11; Heb 1; Jesus’ own self-consciousness (Refer Theology II Lecture Note on this)

Spirit Acts 5:3-4; John 16:8-11; 1 Cor 12:4-11 (Refer Theology II Lecture Note on this)

Three-in-Oneness Three-in-Oneness (Introducing, 111)(Introducing, 111)

“Although the doctrine of the Trinity is not expressly asserted, the scripture, particularly the New Testament, contains so many suggestions of the deity and unity of the three persons that we can understand why the church formulated the doctrine, and conclude that they were right in so doing.”

* For the detail, refer http://all4jesus.net/eng/P3ch12ThreeInOneness.pdf

Historical ConstructionsHistorical ConstructionsThe "Economic" View of Trinity (경륜적 삼위일체론 )

Dynamic Monarchianism (동력적 단일신론 , 또는 단일주권론 )

Modalistic Monarchianism (양태론적 단일신론 )

The Orthodox Formulation: “one ‘ουσια’ in three ‘υποστασις’” 

Essential Elements of a Essential Elements of a Doctrine of the TrinityDoctrine of the Trinity

(1) Unity of God. 하나이신 하나님 (2) Deity of each three persons.

(3) The threeness and the oneness of God not in the same respect.

(4) The Trinity is eternal.

(5) Functional subordination between the three persons of the Trinity

(6) The Trinity is incomprehensible. 

The Search for AnalogiesThe Search for Analogies

(1) Egg: Yolk, white, Shell

(2) Water: solid, liguid, vaforous forms

(3) Role: Pastor, Professor, Father, Husband, Friend, US citizen

Try to explain it, Try to explain it, and you will lose your mind; and you will lose your mind; But try to deny it, But try to deny it, and you will lose your soul and you will lose your soul